Christine Duffield1,2, Glenn Gardner3,4, Anna Doubrovsky4, Sarah Wise5. 1. Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia. 2. School of Nursing and Midwifery, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia. 3. Gardner & Gardner Academic Consulting Pty. Ltd., Brisbane, Qld, Australia. 4. School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Qld, Australia. 5. Centre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation, Faculty of Business, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Abstract
AIM: To explore the extent of Australian nurse managers' engagement in clinical care activities. BACKGROUND: Hybrid nurse manager roles lack clarity in the optimal balance between the clinical and other activities, resulting in stress and challenges in recruiting and retaining nurse managers. METHODS: In a national survey using the Advanced Practice Role Delineation tool, Australian nurses self-assessed their level of engagement in activities across five domains of nursing practice. The subset sample analysed comprised 2,758 registered nurses, 390 clinical (front-line) nurse managers and 43 organisational (middle) nurse managers. Median domain scores were compared with non-parametric tests of difference. RESULTS: Clinical nurse managers were in a hybrid role, reporting high levels of engagement across the domains. Lower scores observed for organisational nurse managers highlight the shift to strategy-focussed activities that occurs as nurses up the management hierarchy. CONCLUSIONS: By indicating their engagement in the clinical care domain, respondents demonstrated that clinically focused activities were not entirely lost from either front-line or middle-management roles. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers equipped with clinical and management skills, and allowed time to remain engage in clinical care activities are critical for patient-centred and cost-effective care in today's complex health care environments.
AIM: To explore the extent of Australian nurse managers' engagement in clinical care activities. BACKGROUND: Hybrid nurse manager roles lack clarity in the optimal balance between the clinical and other activities, resulting in stress and challenges in recruiting and retaining nurse managers. METHODS: In a national survey using the Advanced Practice Role Delineation tool, Australian nurses self-assessed their level of engagement in activities across five domains of nursing practice. The subset sample analysed comprised 2,758 registered nurses, 390 clinical (front-line) nurse managers and 43 organisational (middle) nurse managers. Median domain scores were compared with non-parametric tests of difference. RESULTS: Clinical nurse managers were in a hybrid role, reporting high levels of engagement across the domains. Lower scores observed for organisational nurse managers highlight the shift to strategy-focussed activities that occurs as nurses up the management hierarchy. CONCLUSIONS: By indicating their engagement in the clinical care domain, respondents demonstrated that clinically focused activities were not entirely lost from either front-line or middle-management roles. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers equipped with clinical and management skills, and allowed time to remain engage in clinical care activities are critical for patient-centred and cost-effective care in today's complex health care environments.
Authors: Alberto González-García; Arrate Pinto-Carral; Jesús Sanz Villorejo; Pilar Marqués-Sánchez Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-04-08 Impact factor: 3.390